LASIK - 7 Years Later - Nashville, TN

I was 24 when I had LASIK done on both eyes. I was...

26 Feb 2014

7 years post

I was 24 when I had LASIK done on both eyes. I was nearsighted with a slight astigmatism in one eye. I hadn't needed glasses until I was about 11 years old and then didn't wear them full time until college. In my mind's eye, I always saw myself without glasses, so when I had the opportunity to have LASIK done the summer before heading off on a weeklong backpacking trek in Philmont (Boy Scout Ranch), I jumped on it. Now, 7 years later, I am still very, very happy. I have 15/20 vision in one eye, 20/20 in the other, and 20/20 overall.

I did have some trouble with dry eyes, and after the temporary plugs had dissolved and I had used up all the eye drops they gave me plus 3 more months of buying eye drops, I paid to have silicone plugs put in. They are so small and impossible to see once installed, that I don't know whether they're still there. I still get dry eyes sometimes, but it's usually from spending too much time staring at a screen or a book.

Finally, a lot of people complain of "halos" around lights at night. I have always seen these "halos", even before the surgery, as my pupils are slightly larger than average. The surgery did not increase the halos or affect my night vision.

I have my surgery on VHS tape. If I ever get it converted to digital, I will upload it here.

LASIK Vision Institute

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't go back to the same place. Their goal, I realized once I was committed, was to get as many people through as possible. While I received good care, they did not provide good customer service. One example: I was (very) pregnant at the time of my one year check up. No one said anything about the bulging belly when I signed in, nor during the 2 (!!) hours I sat in the waiting room. But as soon as I was called back, the nurse took one look at me and said they couldn't do the check up because the dilation drops could go systemic and cause problems with the baby, so they sent me home. (Pregnancy hormones caused me to burst into tears the moment I was in my car. It was very upsetting.) Based on my experience, my husband had his done at a different place and had a much better experience.